Stephens thrashes Kontaveit to reach last eight

Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - June 3, 2018 Sloane Stephens of the U.S. with Estonia's Anett Kontaveit after winning their fourth round match REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

PARIS (Reuters) - American Sloane Stephens broke new ground at the French Open with a 6-2 6-0 thrashing of below-par Estonian Anett Kontaveit in the last 16 on Sunday.

Five times the U.S. Open champion had fallen at the fourth-round hurdle in Paris but that never looked like being her fate as she produced a rock-solid display on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The initial exchanges offered no clue as to what was to follow as the first four games were shared but when Kontaveit double-faulted to drop serve Stephens took control.

Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - June 3, 2018 Sloane Stephens of the U.S. in action during her fourth round match against Estonia's Anett Kontaveit REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

Kontaveit could not stem the errors and Stephens, who survived a thriller against Camila Giorgi the previous day, cruised to victory in 52 minutes.

She is the second American into the quarter-finals in the top half of the draw after Madison Keys, whom she beat in last year's U.S. Open final, eased past Mihaela Buzarnescu to register her best run at Roland Garros.

Serena Williams can make it three Americans in the last eight if she beats Maria Sharapova on Monday.

Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - June 3, 2018 Estonia's Anett Kontaveit looks dejected after losing her fourth round match against Sloane Stephens of the U.S. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

(Reporting by Martyn Herman; editing by Clare Fallon)

Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - June 3, 2018 Sloane Stephens of the U.S. celebrates after winning her fourth round match against Estonia's Anett Kontaveit REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol